Mapmaker,
Mapmaker
Back in the days before satellites, maps were based on careful observation.
Sailors would pay attention to how far they traveled and the distance between
land masses. They would then record this information on rough
maps.
How observant are you? Make a map of your home, your classroom, the playground
or your neighborhood. Do your best to space objects to scale. After creating
the rough design, embelish your map with original artwork.
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Sail
On!
Ask a local appliance store for three large boxes. Divide students into three
groups. Assign each group to re-create one of the three ships that took part
in Columbus's first voyage. Use the box to form the ship's body. Poster board
may be used for sails. Fingerpaints, posterpaints, markers, crayons, and
construction paper can help decorate the boats. Once the ships are completed,
let children take turns "sailing" them
Where
in the World?
While Columbus may have used a different method of transportation than most
people do today, travel is still very much a part of our lives.
As a class, discuss some of the reasons people travel, as well as the kinds
of places people visit today. Encourage each child to think of the most distant
place to which they have ever traveled, then create a poster about the
place.
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Each poster should be illustrated with photographs, original drawings, and/or
mementos) from the trip. Older students may also include a short list of
facts about the place (population, climate, primary industry, etc.). Somewhere
on the poster, students should post one or more paragraphs telling about
their trip -- when they went, what they did, what they enjoyed most, and
so forth.
After all posters are completed, give each student a chance to tell the class
about his or her trip. Discuss the kinds of places students have visited.
Who traveled the farthest? Which trip sounds most interesting?
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